dg504 writes: The BBC are reporting that Google are looking to launch an operating system by the middle of next year. "We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds," said the blog post written by Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management, and Google's engineering director Linus Upson. Both men said that "the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web" and that this OS is "our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be". To that end, the search giant said the new OS would go back to basics. "We are completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. "It should just work," said Google.

MasterOfGoingFaster writes: And so it begins... Google announces a new OS based on their Chrome browser. Aimed at netbooks, Google aims to have the OS boot and have you on the net in "seconds". This will be an open source product, shipping with netbooks in 2010. Can you hear the blood vessels popping in Redmond?

"Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work."

"Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android. Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks. Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems."

Zaiff Urgulbunger writes: After years of speculation, Google has announced the Google Chrome OS which should be available mid-2010. Initially targeting netbooks, it's main unique selling points are speed, simplicity and security — which kind of implies that the current No.1 OS doesn't deliver in these areas!
The Chrome OS will run on both x86 and ARM architectures, uses a Linux kernel with a new windowing system. According to Google, "For application developers, the web is the platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform."
Google say that this new OS is separate from Android as the latter was designed for mobile phones and set-top boxes, whereas Chrome OS is designed "for people who spend most of their time on the web".
In other news, chair sellers in Redmond are expecting an increase in sales.

Neil writes: "The official Google Blog features an
announcement this morning
that the company is going ahead with plans to develop the Chrome browser into a fully-fledged operating system distribution, targeted at x86 and ARM netbooks. The project is separate from Android, but is also based on a Linux kernel and will be open sourced. It is lated for release to consumers in the second half of 2010."